


Want Her Back

by honeyharperofficial284



Category: Renegades - Marissa Meyer
Genre: F/M, genissa gets what she deserves dont worry, ummmm here have some angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:01:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27197536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeyharperofficial284/pseuds/honeyharperofficial284
Summary: Adrian watched as Nova was executed in the arena and tries to cope with the regret and guilt he feels over it.
Relationships: Nodrian - Relationship, Nova Artino | Nightmare/Adrian Everhart | Sketch
Comments: 8
Kudos: 21





	1. The Biggest Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrian watched as Nova was executed in the arena and tries to cope with the regret and guilt he feels over it.

Adrian turned over in his bed.

All he could think about was the execution.

He had never seen Nova so frightened. Granted, he hadn't known her long, but for that whole time he had never seen her scared. She made split second decisions for sure, but she was still calm and level-headed. Nothing ever phased her and she just bristled past things that would terrify others.

The only time Adrian had ever seen that display falter was when Nova told him about how her parents had been killed. Even then, it wasn't as bad as how hard she was bawling at the execution and the look of abject terror across her face.

So scared. So small. So loud when she screamed.

And so much blood.

Tears had poured down Nova's cheeks, her body shaking as they pushed her forwards onto the stage. Her sobs echoed throughout the arena and still rang in his mind. Her dark eyes were frozen with fear when her powers were drained. 

Nova looked around the arena frantically, body wracked with sobs. She kept reaching for the wrist her bracelet had always been at, clawing at her skin and panicking when it wasn't there.

Her eyes found his and the eyes of the team and all they could do was look away. He wasn't sure if it was guilt, shame, or even the heart break of losing who they thought was a friend but none of them could meet her eyes. Adrian wasn't sure if it would be any better if they could meet her eyes.

Nova's cries were cut off by an icicle to her throat, whizzing through the air at full speed before lodging itself deep in her neck. The noise made was blood-curdling, and one that would haunt him forever.

Then blood poured from her neck, running down her uniform and spilling out onto the floor as the icicle melted into it, showing the gaping hole in her throat. 

Nova's head had slumped back, dead in under a minute, tears streaking her cheeks and her puffy eyes wide open and glossed over with terror, blood pouring out of her neck and even pooling up in her mouth and welling over.

Great skies there had been so much blood.

Adrian couldn't help but feel that not even Nova deserved her fate, even after what was done to Max.

If she really was Nightmare, then her crimes consisted of petty murder, treason, and two attempted murders, both of which were Adrian's family members.

But it wasn't like Hugh or anyone else had been worried about Nightmare even after the assassination attempt and since Nightmare was in fact an Anarchist, then why would Nova ever be an Anarchist other then because her uncle was Ace.

And if that was the only reason then how much was she manipulated into thinking that was most important above all, especially when he was her only family member left.

Adrian was beginning to heavily doubt that Nova would have hurt Max in such a way on purpose as well.

If anything, it seemed more likely that Genissa would have been the one to throw the pike.

Nova had risked her life and her powers for Max already without knowing him. Adrian knew that her not sleeping was the one thing keeping her from reliving the deaths of her family and she was willing to give that up without hesitation for Max.

In the end, she still had that ripped away from her and Adrian couldn't help but think how cruel that was to her. If they hadn't executed her and had still taken her powers using Agent N, they were leaving her to relive horrifying events every night and that on it's own was callous and inhumane.

But then there was Genissa who had killed Hawthorne in cold blood and would ransack the Anarchist tunnels and destroy what was keeping them alive just so she could get them riled up and arrest them.

Adrian would like to think that she wouldn't purposely impale a child, but he couldn't say that it wouldn't be on accident and she would dodge the blame. She wanted to be the one to execute Nova and in such a brutal fashion for the loss of her powers. It was easy to see why she would harm Max to frame Nightmare just so she could get back at her for losing her powers.

Adrian's gut plummeted at the thought.

Nova had insisted that she was innocent and had been so horrified of her future. And it made no sense for her to have committed any of her crimes without someone forcing her into them.

But Adrian had so blinded by his anger over what happened to Max that he couldn't see it.

Now it was sitting right in his lap and it was too late.

Nova was dead. She was 16 and had been executed in such a sadistic way and was probably innocent or at least did not carry most of the blame for any of the crimes listed.

And now she was dead and never going to come back.

Adrian was never going to get Nova back again.

If only he had taken a moment to put his thoughts together and calm down. If only he had thought about what happened and confronted Genissa about it. Maybe he would have to confess to being the Sentinel but if he had just taken a minute to think his actions through and take responsibility, Nova wouldn't be dead on the stage.

Now all Adrian wanted was to see her again; to hold her and kiss her and tell her it was going to be okay like she had done for him when he thought he was going to lose Max. Nova had been so good for him and yet he turned on her in an instant. She never would have turned on him if she discovered he was the Sentinel.

Adrian had treated her horribly and all he could feel was regret for it.

He was so mad that he had let Nova be killed. He had let his Nova be killed.

And it was all his fault.

If Adrian had just been a bit better of a person, then Nova would still be alive and he wouldn't be left with the aching hole in his chest over the pain he felt because of it.

What Adrian would give to undo his decisions and talk his dads out of executing her. What he would do just to have thought things through for a moment and have been sensible.

He'd give up the whole world just to even apologize to her.

Adrian rolled over in bed again, tears rolling down his cheeks and through his blurred sight he saw the tattoo kit on his desk.

An idea popped into his mind.

Adrian had to have been better for Nova and maybe it wasn't too late. If he started now and made a good enough plan, then she would be back in his arms soon.

He wiped his eyes and got out of bed, heading to his desk to make a new tattoo sketch.

Adrian was going to get her back.


	2. It'll Be Alright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrian has Nova back as he tries to sort out his feelings. Also Genissa gets what she deserves.

It had been weird for Adrian to see himself and talk to himself. It was weird for there to be two of him in his bedroom late at night right after Nova was arrested.

But he had done it anyways. It would all be worth it if Nova was alive and well and safe.

It felt weird to jump back in time but once he was back, he saw Nova curled up beside him reading a book she had taken off his shelves, both of them laying on his bed.

Tears ran down his cheeks and he pulled her onto his lap and kissed her in a heartbeat. Adrian was so happy that she was back.

Nova pulled away, stunned and concerned.

"Are you okay?" Nova asked. "How bad was your dream when you napped?"

Adrian pressed his head against hers, holding her close.

"Oh great skies you have no idea," he told her.

Nova wiped the tears off his face gently. "Well take some deep breaths and we can talk about it. Trust me, I know how awful nightmares can be."

Adrian didn't doubt that statement for a second. He knew that if she fell asleep, often times she had night terrors about her family being killed. He figured if she fell asleep again she might have new nightmares about being in prison. He really hoped she didn't but there was no telling what the effects were going to be and that just wasn't something Adrian could prevent.

In between arresting Nova and finding out from Danna that she may have been Nightmare, there was not a second where he was alone and by himself so he could jump back in time and talk some sense into himself and as a result, he couldn't keep himself from arresting Nova or taking away her bracelet.

But all of that was better then watching her be killed. It was better then watching her cry and thrash as blood poured from her body.

Nova sat beside him and gave him a sympathetic smile as he sat up, squeezing her hand.

Great skies she was still so sweet and gentle with him even after all he had still done. Adrian was extremely lucky she was still putting up with him and had accepted his apology.

He had also been right about her being understanding about him being the Sentinel. He had confessed to it with his dads and Genissa and her team were swiftly arrested for killing Hawthorne and it came out of the woodwork that she had thrown the pike that impaled Max, not Nightmare.

Nova and him had talked it out and she was upset but they pulled through. She was mostly horrified that she had shot him and he had put himself and so many dangerous situations.

And still, despite everything, Nova was still with him. Adrian had her right at his side and he wasn't going to let go of her again. She was too precious for that to happen.

Adrian had been a fool to have to see her be killed to realize that but he was at least glad that he did and glad that Nova was back in his arms.

"So what happened in your dream?" Nova asked softly, rubbing circles on his thumb.

"The execution went through. Genissa killed you and I- I- it was horrible. I know it didn't happen but in my mind it was still so gruesome and you looked so scared and there was so much blood," Adrian choked out. "I thought I had lost you for good."

Nova wrapped her arms around him in a hug, holding Adrian tightly and grounding him.

"It's alright Adrian. Genissa's in jail. She can't hurt anyone anymore and I'm right here. It's going to be okay," she reassured, sounding so sure of herself. It was one of the things he loved about her; how she was so confident in herself and her decisions.

Adrian cupped her face and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"What did I do to deserve you?" Adrian asked.

"You didn't give up on me," Nova said, crying a little herself too.

Adrian kissed her again, holding her close. His hand was in her soft black hair and another was at her low back just under her shirt as he pushed her back onto the bed.

His heart was pounding, overwhelmed by an urgent need to touch her and hold her close and kiss her and never let her go. He didn't want Nova to doubt he cared about her for a second and he was going to make sure of that.

Adrian tasted the saltiness of their tears as he kissed her harder, Nova wrapping an arm around his neck and the other around his middle; like she didn't want to let go either.

"Adrian," Nova sighed.

"Yes?" He asked, then pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose, watching with delight as he face scrunched up and she smiled.

"Everything is going to be alright," Nova said before kissing him again.

Adrian had never been happier.


End file.
